Sanitary toothpick dispenser



Aug. 1, 1939.

E. E. SIMONS SANITARY TOOTHPICK DISPENSER Filed Oct. 20', 1938 W e n T O t T- A Patented Aug. 1, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFEQE.

one-half to Fred S,

Sittler, Allentown, Pa.

Application October 20, 1938, Serial No. 236,095

1 Claim.

This invention relates to dispensing devices and more particularly to a device of this character particularly designed for dispensing toothpicks one at a time, or singly, and in such a man- 6 nor as to permit the toothpick to be handled Without contact of the fingers with the respective opposite ends of the dispensed toothpick.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dispenser of the character aforementioned which is composed of a plurality of parts that can be readily assembled or disassembled.

The invention together with its objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the dispenser showing one side of the same.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional View through the dispenser, the section being taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the bottom member forming part of the dispenser.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the casing or shell forming part of the dispenser, and

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a partition or divider.

Referring more in detail to the drawing it will be seen that in the preferred embodiment thereof the dispenser comprises a bottom or base member 5 formed from metal or other suitable material and provided adjacent the corners thereof with lugs 6 that are substantially triangular in top. plan.

The dispenser also comprises a casing or shell 1 that in the present instance is rectangular in cross-section and is adapted to rest on the base or bottom member 5 with the lugs 5 fitting in the corners of the shell or casing l for retaining the shell or casing l properly centered on the base or bottom 5.

For the top of the casing or shell I there is provided a cap or removable top 8.

Adapted for disposition within the shell I is a divider or partition 9 which may be formed from a single blank of metal or other suitable material bent into a substantially inverted V- form With the sides of the V curving away from one another to contact opposite walls of the casing or shell I at the lower edges of said sides of the V.

The parts above described are held in assembled position through the medium of a center rod or bolt N] that has a head H on one end thereof engaging the underside of the base or bottom member 5.

The center rod or bolt Iii extends upwardly through the shell 1 and through aligned openings !2 and [3 respectively provided in the web of the V-shaped divider or partition 9 and the crown of the top or cap 8.

At the headed end thereof the rod or post I0 is threaded to accommodate a nut l4 that is adapted to be threaded home against the topside of the base 5 to cooperate with the head it for positively securing the head-equipped end of the bolt H! to the base or bottom 5.

The upper end of the shell is provided with the oppositely arranged inwardly extending lugs l5 upon which rest the ends of the web of the partition 9 and the rod Ill is threaded to accommodate a clamping nut 16 that is adapted to be threaded home against the topside of the web of the divider or partition 9 to hold the web against said lugs l5.

At its extreme upper end the rod Ill is also threaded for threadedly receiving a removable knob I! that is adapted to be threaded home on the rod l0 into engagement with the cap or cover 8.

At the lower edges thereof the curved side members of the partition 9 are provided with arcuate notches l8 and at opposite sides of the notches are slits on pairs of spaced parallel lines to provide spring fingers i9 that serve to insure single delivery of the toothpicks or the like 20 arranged in the dispenser and supported, as clearly shown in Figure l, by the partition or divider 9.

Opposed side walls of the shell or casing l are provided with transverse slots 2i through which the toothpicks Etare singly delivered, and to facilitate delivery of the toothpicks, said Walls of the casing or shell l are provided with fingeraccommodating openings 22 which intersect the slots 2! as best shown in Figure 1.

It will thus be seen that to remove from the dispenser a toothpick 28 the thumb and fourth finger may be placed within the opening 22 to grasp a toothpick therebetween for the removal of a toothpick in an obvious manner. Thus it will be seen that the toothpick will be received between said thumb and finger intermediate the ends of the toothpick so that contact of the fingers with the ends of the toothpick is obviated. Such handling of the toothpick will obviously promote sanitation.

It is thought that a clear understanding of the construction, utility and advantages of an invention of this character will be had without a more detailed description.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

A dispenser of the character described comprising a bottom member, a casing member disposed vertically on said bottom member, a cover for said casing member, a rod extending upwardly through said bottom member and said cover, a knob threaded on the rod into engagement with said cover member for securing said cover member, casing, and bottom member assembled, an inverted V-shaped partition arranged in said casing and having the sides thereof curving away from one another with the lower edges of said sides substantially in contact with opposite walls of said casing, said partition member having the web thereof provided with an aperture for accommodating said rod, inwardly extending lugs on opposite sides of the casing member at the top thereof on which the ends of the EDWIN E. SIMONS. 

